Stacked plate, or “housing-less” heat exchangers are known in the art. For example, as illustrated in DE OS 30 21 246 (which is probably intended for us in the food processing field), such heat exchangers include a stack of plates which are secured together around their edges to define closed channels between the plates. Aligned openings in the plates define passages through the plate stack for input and output of fluids, such as gaseous or liquid coolants, between which heat is to be exchanged. Seals are provided between the plates around selected openings to block selected defined passages from communication with selected plate channels, such that two separate fluid paths may be provided, typically with the separate paths defined in alternating channels in the stack. Flow path defining elements such as serpentine fins have also been provided in the channels of some stacked plate art heat exchangers to assist in heat exchange, both by carrying heat from the space to the plates and also by assisting in spreading flow across the plates to maximize the effective heat exchange surfaces.
However, such stacked plate heat exchangers have not been readily usable in applications using fluids which are under particularly high pressures.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.